How It All Started
by DancerTheDoodler
Summary: Maya is just a homeless kid who Lloyd helps out . . . But she ends up playing a big role in everybody's life. AU, Rated T to be safe, I guess.
1. Homeless

A young girl sat in a dirty alleyway in Jamanakai Village. She was just trying to keep warm, but was failing miserably. She sighed, her breath hanging in the air as a little cloud. Her mind was focused on her hunger. She had nothing. Her hair was a raggedy mess and her clothes were torn. She had been an orphan since her mother died last year in a horrible car crash. She shivered, pulling her knees towards her body. Then she noticed a boy about her age, wearing a hood. He saw her too. "Who are you?" He asked.

"My name's Maya Flamey, who are you?" She replied, looking at him with interest.

"I'm Lloyd Garmadon, son of the dark lord!" He looked at Maya's state and asked, "Are you a hobo?"

Maya laughed. "Yeah, I guess I am! My mom died last year and my dad left her before he knew about me."

"Aww, I wish I could help you, but I don't have any food," Lloyd sighed. "But I'm gonna try and steal some candy! If I get any, I'll give some to you."

Maya gave Lloyd a hug. "Thanks!"

"Haha I was first!" "No, no one was faster than me!" "Ha my feet touched the ground before yours!" "You are all disillusioned, it was clearly me!" They could hear the ninja arguing just outside the village.

"Oh no, I better go!" And Lloyd scampered off.

Maya peeked out of the alleyway to watch. Lloyd made a big shadow and people started scampering into their houses and closed the doors. Lloyd did an evil laugh and the ninja just stared at his shadow. Maya giggled to herself. Everyone was fooled. They thought Lloyd was his dad. Then he came out into the open and demanded candy. Then he opened a can and a bunch of rubber snakes popped out. Maya wondered if the serpentine were real. But people just started throwing vegetables at him. Maya frowned. Why were they being so mean to her new friend? Then the ninja hung Lloyd from a sign.

Once the ninja left, Maya came out of hiding and helped Lloyd down from the sign. "Are you okay?"

Lloyd sighed. "I don't know, Maya. No one thinks I'm menacing!"

"I think you're menacing," Maya said, trying to cheer him up.

"Eh, I think I'm just gonna go. But I'll be back, okay Maya?"

"O-okay. Promise?" Maya was terrified of being left alone again.

"I pinkie promise," Lloyd said, holding out his pinkie. The two shook on it and Lloyd left Maya in her alley again.

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**DISCLAIMER: NINJAGO DOES NOT BELONG TO ME, ONLY MAYA DOES! THIS IS JUST MY AU (alternate universe) Read On, Dancer**


	2. Candy and Snakes

Later that day, Maya was asleep in a snow drift, until she heard the screams. She yawned, stretched and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Standing up, she walked into the town and saw Lloyd and the serpentine?! She stood there, petrified, until Lloyd came up to her. "Maya, come on! Let's get some candy!"

"A-are they safe?!" Maya asked, scared out of her mind. "Snakes are my biggest fear, Lloyd!"

"Course they are! Now come on!" The two ran into a candy shop. Lloyd filled a cart with candy and ordered his snake followers to take all the candy. He passed Maya a lollipop. She hugged him. Then Maya noticed a woman in a pretty red dress was hiding.

"Hi." The woman in red nearly screamed, but saw it was only a child. "Who are you?" Maya asked.

"I'm Nya Flamey. Are you with Lloyd?" Nya asked.

"Yes . . ." Maya replied, with distinct guilt embedded in her voice. "My name's Maya Flamey."

"Flamey?" Nya asked. "Who're your parents?"

"My mom died last year, but her name was Penny. My dad doesn't know I was born and I don't know who he is," Maya replied, sitting beside Nya.

Nya looked nervous. "I've gotta go, but I'll see you later, okay Maya?"

Maya nodded and returned to where Lloyd was. She sat onto of his cart of candy. They both were eating candy and Lloyd was laughing. "I'm never going down from this sugar high! Woohoo!" Maya just laughed at him, until the ninja jumped in front of them.

"Sorry to bust your buzz, little Garmadon," Cole said.

"But it's already past your bedtime!" Jay finished.

"GET THEM!" Lloyd cried.

"Seize them!" The General of the Hypnobrai ordered.

"The serpentine? They're real?" Kai asked.

Lloyd pulled Maya away. "Come on, we don't want to get in the way." The ninja seemed to retreat, but then they were back in the game. Except they were terrible. Maya couldn't help but laugh. The two went back to the candy cart and Maya sat on it again as Lloyd pushed it away from the scene. "Consider this a warning, ninja!" Lloyd laughed, until Zane used his shurikens and the cart fell over them. Maya fell over, and started to cry. Lloyd didn't care about to candy anymore; he just wanted to see if his friend was alright. "Are you alright?" Maya nodded weakly and Lloyd cried, "RETREAT!" The snakes and children began to retreat, back to the Hypnobrai's lair.

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**What do you think's gonna happen next? Read On, Dancer.**


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